If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

It has been discovered or It is discovered

An exercise about grammar provides some news headlines to be rewritten in passive way.

1. Water Discovered on Mars
Model answer: It has been discovered there is water on Mars.

2. Terrorist believed to be operating in Berlin
Model answer: It is believed that terrorists are operating in Berlin.

But why can't the first and second examples be rewritten as "It is/was discovered there is water on Mars." and "It has been believed that terrorists are operating in Berlin.". In this case, please advise what kind of rule should be followed so that I can use these tenses precisely. Thanks.

Re: It has been discovered or It is discovered

I would use Water has been discovered on Mars rather than the model answer. The discovery is a fairly recent one, which is why the present perfect is used rather then the past simple. You only discover someone once, so the present simple doesn't work for me.

Re: It has been discovered or It is discovered

There's a subtle difference between the sentences.
What has been discovered - Water (on Mars) or that there is water on Mars?
I'm still not sure whether they are claiming the first based on the second. If they have discovered a situation which can only come about if water has been present, does this mean they've discovered water?

Re: It has been discovered or It is discovered

If I am walking across a desert and see a small pond, I have discovered water.
If I see merely some healthy-looking plants growing, I have not discovered water, but I have discovered that there is water.

Re: It has been discovered or It is discovered

If one discovers water on Mars, there is water on Mars. If one discovers that there is water on Mars, one has likely found water on Mars. The rest of this "nuance" argument is all speculation and hypothesis. it serves no purpose.

Re: It has been discovered or It is discovered

It serves a purpose for me. I am interested in some of the nuances of language. Raymott suggested a possible difference in meaning in two ways of conveying information that I thought was interesting. If it doesn't interest you, then simply ignore it.